Wednesday was a difficult day for The American Independent News Network, which is the larger entity that operates The Iowa Independent. Our chief executive and founder announced two of our sister sites would close and their content would be moved to The American Independent.
A recently introduced bill could have far-reaching impact on the U.S. sugar industry, including American Crystal Sugar, a farmer-owned cooperative that locked out 1,300 Midwest workers on Aug. 1.
The chairman for Herman Cain’s Iowa effort says the campaign “relied more on the word of farmers than Washington regulators” in deciding to run an ad containing claims the Environmental Protection Agency says are false.
The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
State Rep. Kent Sorenson (R-Indianola) has announced his candidacy for the Iowa Senate seat currently held by state Sen. Staci Appel (D-Ackworth).
State Rep. Kent Sorenson, R-Indianola
Sorenson, a freshman representative, defeated former Rep. Mark Davitt (D-Indianola) in an election that took many Democrats by surprise. He is a conservative Republican with ties to Campaign for Liberty, the organization that was spawned by libertarian U.S. Rep. Ron Paul’s (R-Texas) presidential campaign.
Earlier this year, Sorenson made a splash by writing an audacious open letter to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the senior-most Republican official in Iowa, criticizing several of his positions. He also used Twitter to disseminate false information about national health care reform.
At this point, Sorenson’s chances of winning in Senate District 37, which spans Warren and Madison Counties just south of Des Moines, are unclear. He currently represents Warren County in the Iowa House, and that half of the district is slightly more Democratic than the Madison County half, which has been represented by Republican Rep. Jodi Tymeson for years.
But Appel, who has represented the area in the Iowa Senate since 2006, has proven herself to be an aggressive campaigner and a very successful fundraiser. Unlike Davitt, some Democrats say, Appel will be ready for the challenge.
Even before Sorenson announced his senate candidacy, Democrats were preparing for the chance to win back his seat in the House. Veteran Democratic operative Scott Ourth is actively considering an entry into the race, and, without an incumbent, he would likely become the favorite to win.
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